DRUGS COULD BE DISASTROUS FOR UNITED STATES

In the column, "Terror and the war on drugs" [Commentary, Feb. 3], Alan
Bock advocates ending the War on Drugs. Since I myself am undecided on this
issue, I was disappointed that Bock didn't address the really tough
questions. The phrase "ending the War on Drugs" is a euphemism for
legalizing drugs.

So I want to know: Will we find ourselves with even bigger drug problems if
we do this? Advocates of legalizing drugs are fond of pointing out the
fundamental laws of economics that enable drug traffickers to reap enormous
profits.

Well, don't these same laws predict that legalizing drugs will result in a
dramatic increase in demand for, and use of, drugs? Won't legalization
result in much lower prices, which, in turn, will result in much higher
demand? And just how will drugs be legalized? Will they be sold by anyone,
like cigarettes? Or will distribution be controlled, like prescription
drugs? Should they be heavily taxed to artificially lower demand, as
gasoline is? Before we surrender the War on Drugs we should be reasonably
sure that the alternative isn't worse.

Steven Rohde, Aliso Viejo